Are you someone who thinks that just throwing out your personal documents is enough protection? Actually, one of the most popular ways for identity thieves to steal your identity is simply going through your trash. If you don’t shred sensitive material, you are placing yourself at risk of having your identity stolen…and that can be not only a huge hassle, but tragic.

You should definitely invest in a shredder for your home or office, preferably one that “cross cuts” (slices in two directions), and destroy all sensitive information including bank and credit card statements you no longer need, carbon-copy charge receipts with your account information, insurance forms, physician bills, etc. Recently, we were sent a great shredder to try out; the Fellowes P-12C cross cut shredder, and it is exactly what we need.

Here are the specs:

*  Cross-Cut blades that destroy 12 sheets of paper into approximately 309 particles per sheet, making it extremely difficult to reassemble.

*   SafeSense® technology which automatically disables the shredder when hands touch the paper opening

*   The ability to shred credit cards, paper clips, staples and junk mail for added convenience

The P-12C can be purchased at Walmart Stores nationwide and at www.Walmart.com for a suggested retail price of $99.97.

You should destroy all sensitive information including junk mail and paperwork that includes:

• Account numbers
• Birth dates
• Passwords and PINs
• Signatures
• Social Security numbers

To protect your privacy, you should also consider shredding items that include:

• Names
• Addresses
• Phone numbers
• E-mail addresses

This Fellowes unit is everything that you would need for your home or home office. For an investment of less than $100, you can protect yourself and your family. Don’t you think it’s worth it???

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."